So sad to read Kenny -- I was an 'only Child' so never knew about Brothers or Sisters -- I was always a bit 'lonely' but got used to it -- lived on my own for 10 years from 1973 -83 when my first marriage broke up -- coming home to a cold dark house with my Chinese Take-away meal --

Got COMPUTERISED and 'slightly Digitised Pentax K10D' but FILM STILL RULES !

were you successful ordering HEAP from China? Do you have this substance in hands by now and were you able to make Promicrol? If no, do you have information how to synthetisize HEAP or do you know where to find this information? I make my own Glycin and use it for Ansco 130 paper developer. I found the reciep in an 1917 issue of British Chemical Journal. For HEAP I found no information on synthesis.

Best regards
Gerhard

irivlin wrote:Some good news.
I have found a manufacturer who is able to supply N-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-o-aminophenol sulfate.
I've ordered a Kg of this and can supply anyone who might be interested in making their own original Promicrol. (The latest version of Promicrol, which doesn't have N-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-o-aminophenol sulfate is not a developer that I like)
You only need 6gms per litre (of N-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-o-aminophenol sulfate). Assuming your developing tank takes 500mls - and if you go for the 1:3 dilution "one shot" of Promicrol (superb acutance with no perceptible increase in grain), then I litre will give 4 litres of working solution - ie 8 films can be developed from each litre. I can sell the N-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-o-aminophenol sulfate for $25 per 100gms. (Plus postage) - That will develop over 100 36 exposure films. ie 25c per film (plus the cost of the glycin, sodium sulphite etc - ie very little).
The improved formula using Glycin, instead of Potassium bromide is:-

Ian Rivlin
PS Promicrol is a GENUINE speed increaser that gives ultra fine grain. It will give at least 50% increase in speed and 100 and 150% is more the mark. I regularly developed 400asa films to 1600asa and the results looked similar to 400asa film "normally" developed.

With Promicrol, the edge definition is superior as is the tonal separation. Promicrol develops Kodak Tech Pan film beautifully. (a 35mm frame can be enlarged to 16"x20" with virtually no apparent grain. The results with 100asa Fuji ACROS (Rated at 200asa) are stunning. There is outstanding shadow detail and the highlights hardly ever get blown out. You can easily play with the curves by just altering the inversion rate.
PPS. Promicrol can be used "neat" or diluted up to 1:10. At this dilution, the edge definition becomes really sharp. The grain slightly (I do mean slightly, not excessively) increases. - Similar to film, rated at twice the nominal speed and push developed in eg D76. With Promicrol, the good thing is that the contrast hardly alters. The developing times, at 1:10 are long though.

Would you be able to post that information on the manufacture of Glycin. I am very interested in doing it. Since there is only one source for it in the United States that I am aware of, it would be nice to know that I myself could produce it. I started to research the information that you posted and came up empty. So any assistance from you would be greatly welcomed and prized.

Thank You

KennyE.

PS: I do have a well equipped Lab. I really do. And I will not tell my spouse how much it cost her.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, Champion Promicrol sold as a liquid concentrate is a totally different formula altogether from the original May & Baker Promicrol formula.
Even if you can still get the HEAP-Sulphate (Atomal) developing agent, I have to ask what you think it can do that newer formulas such as Microphen or Xtol cannot do?

Old Promicrol can be compared with Agfa Atomal were the same HEAP Sulphate was in. Alternative (more modern) Ascorbic Acid (Vit.C) type developers: FX-50, Ilfosol -S/-3, Xtol, Fomadon Excel W27 or PC-TEA. As far as I know only PC-TEA has a long shelf life of approx. 2-3 years. All, other type Vit.C developers have a relativ very short life span of the stock/concentrate. (4-6 months).

Fotohuis wrote:Old Promicrol can be compared with Agfa Atomal were the same HEAP Sulphate was in. Alternative (more modern) Ascorbic Acid (Vit.C) type developers: FX-50, Ilfosol -S/-3, Xtol, Fomadon Excel W27 or PC-TEA. As far as I know only PC-TEA has a long shelf life of approx. 2-3 years. All, other type Vit.C developers have a relativ very short life span of the stock/concentrate. (4-6 months).

I haven't read much about Xtol losing activity suddenly on photo-forums lately and some report that they have replenished Xtol for well over a year without any problems.
Kodak also recently stopped using KODALK (sodium metaborate) in Xtol and have replaced it with BORAX (disodium tetraborate).

HEAP sulphite is sometimes referred to as ATOMAL developing agent (from The Focal Encyclopaedia Of Photography) because of it being the main reducing agent in the Agfa developer of that name.

I believe that it has been substituted with a colour developing agent in the Adox A49 developer.

it has been substituted with a colour developing agent in the Adox A49 developer.

Yes, Calbe used para-Phenylene Diamine in their A-49.
Hans Windisch found in WWII the ortho- Phenylene Diamine, less staining and less poisoning then the para version. He made the very well known W665 developer, later produced by Perutz. When Agfa took over Perutz these special developers were discontinued. It is an ultra fine grain type developer with a kind of solarisation which you can take away by flushing the film in a HAc or HCl solution. It also works better when the developer has been rippened. (pre-aged).

The Fomapan 200 (E.I. 80-100) reacts very good on this W665 developer.

Good news: Klaus Wehner from Paderborn (Germany) found a synthetic chemical alternative and made a modified Agfa Atomal, ATM-W (Atomal from Wehner). I am getting the new formulae next week in new type HD-Polyethylene bottles but some first tests and curve fittings are already available.

Fotohuis wrote:Good news: Klaus Wehner from Paderborn (Germany) found a synthetic chemical alternative and made a modified Agfa Atomal, ATM-W (Atomal from Wehner). I am getting the new formulae next week in new type HD-Polyethylene bottles but some first tests and curve fittings are already available.

Here i a link to all my 'Promicrol' results on my Flickr collection -- there are a couple of print scans of prints from negs done in the 'Original Powder' version years ago when i worked at May & Bakers in Dagenham and could get it free --- but most are from the Liquid Formula and I have just a small amount left in the plastic 1 Litre bottle going quite Brown even though I have squirted some Butane Gas into it .

a long time has passed since you wrote this post, I read it by now. Are you still interested in my procedure of making Glycin? I can look up my notices in the lab an post it.

regards
Gerhard

KennyE wrote:Gerhard:

Would you be able to post that information on the manufacture of Glycin. I am very interested in doing it. Since there is only one source for it in the United States that I am aware of, it would be nice to know that I myself could produce it. I started to research the information that you posted and came up empty. So any assistance from you would be greatly welcomed and prized.

Thank You

KennyE.

PS: I do have a well equipped Lab. I really do. And I will not tell my spouse how much it cost her.